Hootenanny 2017 – Day 8

*RING RING RING RING*

Hello? Who? Where’s Tucker? I wish I could tell you, but I can’t because I don’t know. Call back later. What? I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. That noise? That would be 23 dancing elves, two blenders, four reindeer, and a partridge in a pear tree. Come by later if you want. What’s one more?

*Ends call*

You guys, remember I told you the elves were kind of getting into swingin’ 50s cocktail Christmas music? Well, they decided to try making some new eggnog drinks using blenders, in keeping with their random cocktail theme. And there’s nutmeg involved. Maybe cinnamon…? Peppermint for sure. They’re literally making eggnog frappes. On the front porch. Because why not? It’s holiday happy time. No alcohol, because the neighbor kids are drinking these, too. But I do know that the blender going in the garage right now might have something a little stronger than eggnog in it. It’s probably best we don’t ask.

A bunch of the crew went to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi again, but the house is still full of elves and reindeer — how does that even happen? The more that leave, the more that show up. Magic clone elves? I have no idea. And now the ones still here are out back playing hockey — no, it’s crack the whip and oooooooohhhh into a snowbank we go! omg I can’t…everybody’s laughing and rolling around…they’re making snow angels now. And right on time, our second pizza delivery of the day.

It could be Switzerland. It could be Colorado. Who the hell knows? #Tuckeronthelam

While I take care of this, y’all settle in and get ready for some more BOOKS n’ SWAG!

AND THANK YOU THANK YOU authors and publishers, for all you do and for putting up all these books! OMG! And JOVE! MAD SKILLZ ON THE BANNERS. Y’all, give Jove some luv for the banners. Cuz every year they’re AWESOME.

REMINDER: to enter today’s drawing, just leave a comment on the blog. One entry per person (go ahead and chit-chat with others; we’ll just count your first comment). Make sure you include your email address in the comment fill-out form so we can contact you if you win. Do NOT put your email in the comment body. This keeps the creepy bot-butts from stealing them for their own nefarious purposes. Don’t worry. We keep those locked up safe in the back.

The drawing closes at 10 PM EST US (world clock). We then do the drawing right away and start notifying winners right away. We also post the winners’ names next to the prize they won, so if you see your name on the blog but you don’t see an email from us, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see an email from us, drop us a line at our Contact page right here on the blog and we will swing into action like Batwoman on a mission.

We give the prizes away in the order they appear on the blog. So the first name drawn gets the first thing listed, the second the second, and so on. Trust us on this. It helps keep us on track.

Authors, if you’re up today, please don’t enter the drawing because, I mean, what if you won your own book? So not fun. But singing songs is!

Just hear those merry elves sing-a-ling
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it’s reading weather
For a bookfest together with you

Outside the elves are skating
And in the snowbanks, WOO HOO
Come on, it’s reading weather
There’s a bookfest together for you

Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap
these books
Let’s stare at them now
We’re at the Hootennany show

Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap it’s cray
Just giving all day
We’re dancing along with the elves
To a wintry fairy band

Our books are stacked all over
And elves are laughing with glee
We’re reading all we can like all
Birds of a feather should be

Let’s skate the pond before us
And ride a reindeer or two
Come on, it’s reading weather
At this bookfest we’ve got for you

There’s a nutty party in this house–we’re ALL so gay
There’ll be some silly dancing on a perfect day
We’ll be mangling the songs we used to love without a single stop
At the kitchen stove we watch the popcorn pop
Pop! Pop! Pop!

There’re still a bunch of books you don’t have to buy
And we’ll pass around the eggnog and the pizza pie
It’s definitely not a picture print by Currier and Ives
Hey, so what these things are the things
We’ll remember all through our liiiiiives!

S. ANDREA ALLEN – Winner Leana Otjens
S. Andrea Allen has ONE EBOOK (or paperback, US only) of Solace, a collection of poetry and prose that addresses how LGBTQ women of color traverse the land mines of living in the United States.

I. BEACHAM – Winners lizcaruso and Tula Marie
I. Beacham has TWO EBOOKS for TWO WINNERS of her Soul Survivor, which brings an international journalist traumatized by events in Syria and a charismatic vicar struggling with her own demons.

JEANNIE LEVIG – Winners jds12au and Miriam
Jeannie has TWO EBOOK copies of Embracing the Dawn, which stars an ex-con trying to get her life together and a businesswoman whose grown children don’t know she’s gay. Is there something deeper between them than a one-night stand? Win and see.

A.E. RADLEY – Winners CJ Murphy
A.E. Radley is offering ONE EBOOK, winner’s choice of any of her books. Click HERE to see.

AURORA REY – Winner Janeen
Aurora has ONE EBOOK of Winter’s Harbor ready for reading. Broken-hearted Lia heads to Provincetown to get her head together. And then she meets Alex, a pastry chef and proprietor of a local café. And y’all KNOW those pastry chefs bring the sexy…

ADAN RAMIE – Winners Amebear and Catherine Lane
Adan has TWO EBOOK copies for TWO WINNERS of Eager Observer, part of the Deviant Behaviors trilogy. Detective Harry Thresher and her new rookie partner have to track one of the smartest — or luckiest — killers Harry’s ever had to deal with.

GUN BROOKE – Winner BJ Phillips
Gun has ONE EBOOK copy of Thorns of the Past. A former cop-turned-PI left the force in disgrace. She ends up helping an accountant whose offices have experienced a series of break-ins. But the accountant doesn’t care much for cops…

SANDRA de HELEN – Winners Elizabeth W Davis and Tippi
Sandra has TWO EBOOK copies for TWO WINNERS of the first of her Shirley Combs/Dr. Mary Watson mysteries, The Hounding.

ISABELLA – Winners – Stoppie and Angela A
Isabella has TWO EBOOK copies for TWO WINNERS of Razor’s Edge, the latest in her Yakuza series. Dark, gripping, tense. Win and see.

JEAN COPELAND – Winners Svelta and Tami Perry
Jean has TWO EBOOK copies for TWO WINNERS of Summer Fling, in which attorney Kate and her friends navigate single life in their 40s. Until Kate meets Jordan, a younger singer. Sparks fly, but can they make it work?

RHAVENSFYRE – Winner Pat H
Rhavensfyre are offering ONE EBOOK copy, READER’S CHOICE of any of their books. Have a look.

RJ LAYER – Winner Karen H
RJ has ONE EBOOK of Dreams Unspoken ready to go, just released this month. Jo leaves horse-training behind to mend some fences with her family in Ohio. Things could be worse. And then they might get better after she meets Maria.

AMAZON GIFT CARD – Winner Kate
Women and Words luvs you. So they want YOU to have a $20 gift card. Because you rock!

“A bunch of the crew went to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi again, but the house is still full of elves and reindeer — how does that even happen? The more that leave, the more that show up. Magic clone elves? I have no idea.” My guess is that they’ve learned a Jedi trick from the movie and passed it on to all their pals. 😉
Adorable Rudolph banner today Jove!
Count me in for the draw please and thanks.

i’m feeling lucky, so i am going to play again… there’s one i really really really want, that if i don’t win i will probably just buy for myself as a xmas pressent.
yayyyy hootenanny! *wiggly happydance*

This one time, long ago (but, sadly, not in a galaxy far, far away) I was totally convinced I wrote a fairly awesome lesfic—the final draft of it, no less—and then went on a hunt for the Word file evidence of said lesfic on my desktop and laptop. BUT—because there is always a “but” to such stories as the current one I’m telling, or rather, I’m trying to convey with a certain amount of intrigue—during that hunt, I suddenly remembered that I had just recovered from the flu, and thus, most likely (read: definitely) had written said “book” whilst combating fevers and chills and, as it turns out, while also committed to holding down the “e” key and keeping that little flu-inspired skill going strong with the caps lock also on deck for the equivalent of 240 manuscript pages. So, yeah, nope.

I’ve actually never had eggnog. It’s not a popular thing South of the hemisphere. Maybe because it’s summer now and we’re more interested in something cold and full of ice to help with the heat? (Our Santa wears shorts and flip flops)

So I looked up the recipe online. The ingredients looks like it could be yum. A bit rich but yum. But I would be interested in what a coffee infused eggnog would taste like. Maybe replace the whiskey with a coffee liqueur or maybe even just some espresso for a non alcoholic version?

Seems like those little snowangel makers have been into the eggnog a little more than I thought. Glad they are making the most of what they have though.
Maybe those elves could be a crucial part of a master plan afterall!

Thanks to all of the gift and book donors and everyone who brings so much joy to all of us hopeful Hootenannites!!!! Yes, I think I made up a word, but I’m going with it!!! Many thanks and much appreciation…

Just a little piece of friendly advice…NEVER take the hazmat minions shopping. NEVER…EVER! I even tried making them use their radios to report in their position. It was pure pandemonium. I had to have the rescue elves extricate two of them from the claw machine in the middle of the mall. How in the world they got in there I’ll never know. With everything the group bought, I didn’t think we were going to get it all home without Santa’s help. Thank heavens for the roof rack on the 4Runner. I felt like Jed Clampett on move in day for the Beverly Hillbillies! Exhausted, but full of Christmas Cheer (and some straight shots of moonshine), we wrapped packages and watched the Polar Express! Happy Hootenanny!!

Thanks to all the authors and publishers. Thanks especially to Affinity Press, whose ebook I won, and to Erica Lawson, whose ebook I chose! Just love getting unexpected gifts during Hanukkah! Tonight we light the final candles, and are feeling grateful we don’t have to mess with tipsy elves or reindeer tipping them over!
Hugs to Andi & Jove for doing all the work this Hootenanny entails!